It is desirable in today's marketplace, given the building infrastructure, to provide power over ethernet cable, thus providing power directly to a modular jack interface. A common modular jack interface is the so-called RJ-45 modular jack, which provides eight or more contacts, and which mates with a like modular plug.
Thus, providing power through the ethernet cable (otherwise referred to as Power-Over-Ethernet or POE) allows some power to be delivered at an ethernet interface, where power is not otherwise available. It is known to provide approximately 16 watts through ethernet cable, whereby the power is available as a DC source at the ethernet interface. This could be used as a power source for phone usage, or to trickle charge batteries such as cell phone or laptop batteries. In this case, however, power over ethernet control cards are provided, whereby the power is controlled and conditioned to the interface of the ethernet connection.
One way of accomplishing this task is to provide a connector device on a motherboard, which receives a power over ethernet control card, which thereafter is connected to a further electrical connector device having the interface. In such cases, valuable real estate is taken up on the motherboard and also further complicates both the motherboard patterns as well as requires redundant connection devices.
Moreover, from a connector-manufacturing standpoint, it is desirable to provide as many options as possible to the user and yet not require multiple and/or redundant component parts.
One multi-port electrical connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,988 and assigned to the present assignee, and is incorporated in its entirety herein.
Thus, the objects of the invention are to provide a connection system consistent with the needs described above.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing a universal multi-port jack assembly, comprising a multi-port electrical connector housing having a plurality of housing ports adjacent a mating face of the connector housing. A plurality of electrical connection devices are positioned with first mating contact portions adjacent the mating face, and are adapted for mating engagement with a plurality of electrical connectors in the housing ports. A plurality of second mating contact portions extend rearwardly in a common patterned configuration. A main board is positioned adjacent to a rear of the connector housing and has a first common electrical interface, being electrically interconnected to the second mating contact portions. The main board further comprises a second common electrical interface being electrically connectable with a third common electrical interface on a motherboard. The main board has any one of a plurality of configurations, wherein the plurality of configurations include:                a first configuration wherein the main board is circuit traces only, the main board functioning to electrically interconnect the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface;        a second configuration wherein the main board has circuit traces for electrically interconnecting the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and the main board is enabled to receive conditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through a second designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface; and        a third configuration wherein the main board has circuit traces for electrically interconnecting the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and the main board further comprises an electrical connector interconnected to the main board, and wherein a further power over ethernet conditioning board may be connectable directly therewith, whereby the main board is adapted to receive unconditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through a second designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and route them through the further power over ethernet conditioning board, and then through the first mating contact portions.        
The second common electrical interface may be comprised of edge contacts on the main board and a printed circuit board edge card connector interconnected thereto, the edge card connector having edge card printed circuit board contacts which are configured to match the third common electrical interface on the motherboard. The universal multi-port jack assembly can also include an outer shield in surrounding relation to the assembly wherein the shield has opening ports to access the housing ports, and the edge card printed circuit board contacts extend outside of said shield. The shield may include a knock-out portion overlying the position of the electrical connector, in the case of the third configuration.
The first mating contact portions of the electrical connection devices may be comprised of electrical terminals configured as modular jack terminals, the terminals including reversely bent portions adjacent the housing ports and the electrical terminals being interconnected to a printed circuit card having signal conditioning devices thereon, and the plurality of second mating contact portions of the electrical connection devices are comprised of printed circuit tines interconnected to the printed circuit card and profiled for interconnection with the first common electrical interface. The printed circuit tines may be press fit style contacts.
In another embodiment of the invention, a universal multi-port jack assembly, comprises a multi-port electrical connector housing having a plurality of housing ports adjacent a mating face of the connector housing. A plurality of electrical connection devices are positioned with first mating contact portions adjacent the mating face, and are adapted for mating engagement with a plurality of electrical connectors in the housing ports, and a plurality of second mating contact portions extending rearwardly in a common patterned configuration. A main board is positioned adjacent to a rear of the connector housing and has a first common electrical interface, being electrically interconnected to the second mating contact portions, and the main board further comprising edge contacts adjacent to an edge thereof. A printed circuit board edge card connector is interconnected thereto, the edge card connector having edge card printed circuit board contacts which are configured to the third common electrical interface on agro motherboard. An outer shield is positioned in surrounding relation to the assembly wherein the shield has opening ports to access the housing ports, and the edge card printed circuit board contacts extend outside of the shield.
In a first configuration, the main board comprises circuit traces only, the main board functioning to electrically interconnect the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface.
In a second configuration, the main board comprises circuit traces for electrically interconnecting the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and the main board is enabled to receive conditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through a second designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface.
In a third configuration, the main board comprises circuit traces for electrically interconnecting the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and the main board further comprises a first electrical connector interconnected to the main board, and wherein a further power over ethernet conditioning board may be connectable directly therewith, whereby the main board is adapted to receive unconditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through a second designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and route them through the further power over ethernet conditioning board, and then through the first mating contact portions.
In the third configuration, the shield may include a knock-out portion overlying the position of the first electrical connector. The main board lies in a vertical plane adjacent a rear of the connector housing. The power over ethernet card has control circuitry thereon, and has a second electrical connector connected to the first electrical connector, with the power over ethernet card lying parallel with the main board. A heat reduction device may be positioned on the power over ethernet card. The heat reduction device may comprises a fan or a heat sink.
The first mating contact portions of the electrical connection devices may be comprised of electrical terminals configured as modular jack terminals, the terminals including reversely bent portions adjacent the housing ports and the electrical terminals being interconnected to a printed circuit card having signal conditioning devices thereon, and the plurality of second mating contact portions of the electrical connection devices are comprised of printed circuit tines interconnected to the printed circuit card and profiled for interconnection with the first common electrical interface. The printed circuit tines may be press fit style contacts.
The universal multi-port jack assembly may also further comprise an indicator member for indicating the condition of the plurality of electrical connection devices. The indicator member may be comprised of light emitting diodes positioned on the main board, with light pipes extending from the diodes to a position adjacent to the housing ports, whereby the light may be seen from a front of the assembly.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a multi-port jack assembly has integrated power over ethernet, and comprises a multi-port electrical connector housing having a plurality of housing ports adjacent a mating face of the connector housing. A plurality of electrical connection devices are positioned with first mating contact portions adjacent the mating face, and are adapted for mating engagement with a plurality of electrical connectors in the housing ports, and a plurality of second mating contact portions extending rearwardly in a common patterned configuration. A main board is positioned adjacent to a rear of the connector housing and has a first common electrical interface, being electrically interconnected to the second mating contact portions, the main board further comprises a second common electrical interface being electrically connectable with a third common electrical interface on a motherboard. The main board has circuit traces for electrically interconnecting the plurality of electrical connection devices to the mother board through a first designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and the main board further comprises an electrical connector interconnected to the main board. A power over ethernet conditioning board is directly connected to the main board, whereby the main board is adapted to receive unconditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through a second designated subset of the second and third common electrical interface, and route them through the power over ethernet conditioning board, and then through the first mating contact portions.
The second common electrical interface may be comprised of edge contacts on the main board and a printed circuit board edge card connector interconnected thereto, the edge card connector having edge card printed circuit board contacts which are configured to match the third common electrical interface on the motherboard. The outer shield is in surrounding relation to the assembly of the connector housing, electrical connection devices and main board. The outer shield includes a knock-out portion overlying the position of the electrical connector, and the power over ethernet conditioning board is position outside of the shield and interconnected to the electrical connector.
The main board lies in a vertical plane adjacent a rear of the connector housing, and the power over ethernet card has a second electrical connector connected to the first electrical connector, with the power over ethernet card lying parallel with the main board. A heat reduction device may be positioned on the power over ethernet card, and may be comprised of a heat sink or a fan.